‘Joe and Brix’ show removed by WTMM Radio

WTMM sent out a press release this afternoon announcing a new 3-7 p.m. weekday show featuring current midday host Armen Williams and Capital Region native Jeff Levack, apparently spelling the end to the short-lived “Joe and Brix” show on the ESPN-affiliated station.

The new show, called “Armen and Levack,” will begin Tuesday. The station’s website still has afternoon co-hosts Joe Calderone and Pierce Brix listed. Attempts to reach Stephen Giuttari, director of operations for Townsquare Media, were not immediately returned.

The station will now air ESPN’s “SVP and Russillo” show from 1 to 3 p.m., which will Williams’ previous spot. The new show most nights will lead in to the station’s New York Yankees broadcasts.

“Developing key sports alliances and creating this new afternoon drive-time show is a part of our continued efforts to present the very best product to sports fans across the Capital Region,” Williams, who also is the station’s brand manager, said in the press release.

90 Responses

I listened to Levack & Armen yesterday and it makes me long for Bruce Jacobs (and I couldn’t stand him). Again, WTMM has hired another guy (Levack) that’s never covered a game in his life and brings ZERO credibility to the job. It’s like listening to two guys at the bar talk sports that have no idea or clue about what they’re even talking about.

This is the exact same type of hire they made with Brix and look at how that turned out.

Armen is boring and Levack’s fake radio voice drives me nuts. Back to listening to my iPod in the car.

Harold, just to let you know Jeff Levack has been with Townsquare Media for years actually. He was the producer for the Sean and Richie show on WGNA. He famously would do a segment called his “view from the couch”, which was mainly a sports segment to the morning show. He is an avid sports fan here locally. He is also the former Program Director of WTMM from years ago. So that’s why he was brought in to be paired with Armen, who is the current “Brand Manager” (or Program Director) for WTMM. So it’s unfactual to say he was just hired and brings ZERO credibility when in fairness he does have a good amount of it.

Sports Lover: Just because someone is a sports fan doesn’t mean they’d be a good sports talk show host. And isn’t View from the Couch a ripoff name from Norman Chad’s column? Again, Levack has zero credibility – I don’t think he’s covered a sporting event on any level. He was also the PD of ESPN radio before they had any local shows, right? What exactly did he do? Make sure the switch stayed “on” during the national shows?

I listen to this station’s evening drive time show every day on my way home and have for years. Unfortunately I am not sure how much longer I can. To me, Armen has this seemingly manufactured urgency to everything he says. Listening for any length of time just gets mentally exhausting. I am not against a change from talking WAY too much NY Knicks (I mean people really still watch basketball?) but Armen’s on-air personally is just too high-strung for my taste.

This station would be so much better served being the Fox Sports channel and sending this “ESPN” trash to AM radio. I guess they could also just let anyone who wanted a turn trying sports radio who honestly doesn’t know much or have an educated opinion or want to do research have a shot at it. Oh wait….

The problem with a lot of the comments on this blog is that this is NOT a local show. It is a locally produced show with local hosts talking about National topics. When Duke loses to Mercer I dont want to hear Greg Koubek talk to Joe or Brix about it. Id rather hear SVP talk to Coach K! I dont want to hear Derek Brown talk about the Giants, I want to hear Eli Manning talk about them. Thats where the 6 hours of the same thing comes into issue.

In order to make this show work it needs a few things. First is structure. If you are doing 3pm-7pm you need to do Local Pro sports, Local College Sports, and then Local High School sports. Sprinkle in Regional College and Pro coverage. Have a couple of daily “segments” to break up the talk.

The point is if you want listeners and, in turn, ratings, you need to give people a reason to listen. Let me give you an example….the biggest demographic you can tap in to is the local High School Sports scene. If you had phone interviews with 2 kids and a coach everyone in those communities would listen when they normally dont. After doing this for “X” amount of time you would increase your overall listeners 50 times over! On a smaller scale the same can be said for Local College and Pro personalities. A huge example of a missed opportunity was the fiasco with Union vs. RPI hockey. National coverage of it was bigger than the local.

Also, Scotia just won the NYS Federation Basketball Championship, undefeated, and nothing about it on air other than a quick mention. Bring the MVP Joe Cremo, (who by the way is a UAlbany commit for 2015), on for call in segment. The entire Scotia community would be listening….and it snowballs from there.

6 years ago I started a website to cover high school sports in our area. I talked to players, coaches administrators and fans to see what they wanted and they were missing. Over the years I have heard every possible complaint about local sports coverage. Last week I sat at the TU Center and listened to a lot of the same people tell me they would listen to 104.5 if there was REAL local sports on.

I do not think you can have a daily show for hours of just High School stuff….but It needs to be your bread and butter. The format needs a much better structure and it can be done. And for the record, Joe C wanted something similar to this idea.

Todd hit a home run with his post. He and I share the exact same belief that it starts with local hot sports topics and then sprinkle in national instead of the reverse. The reverse is a proven failure. Local first has been proven successful by Sinkoff. Plain and simple!

#7 (Sports Lover)The formula you suggest,or agree with, may work but. It sure as heck wasn’t “proven” by Sinkoff. I’ve listened to local sports talk for 25 years and that nonsense was the worst goober, fluff, give me a break, radio I’ve heard. Plain and simple!

Ed Bemiss, Sinkoff did prove it actually. He pulled in the top ratings for afternoon drive time talk radio, beating out every talk program including WGY. His arbitron ratings were consistently in the upper 3s to low 4s. That my friend is PROVEN success. I’m sorry in your 25 years it was the worst for you locally but I’m not sure what you even listened to. Tell us what you liked over the 25 years. But I guarantee it was LOCAL sports talk which is what Sinkoff was successful with. You may not like his personality but he wasn’t the wrist my friend he was the best!

Ed Bemiss, first of all I’m not Brian Sinkoff. But I can say I’m a person with knowledge of the situation. Now onto the facts. Sinkoff was NOT fired due to performance. He was let go since Brian Noe the Program Director at the time was advised by a station consultant to go in a different direction with more regional/national talk. Pete Dougherty posted the story on Sinkoff’s dismissal and it clearly stated that the station wanted to go in a different direction and wasn’t on performance. Pete even raised the question to why the move was made given the good ratings. That decision turned out bad and never worked.

Now as far as Sinkoff not being on radio and doing real estate, that I can’t speculate on but I’m sure real estate has better job security plus Sinkoff still does sports for Time Warner Cable Sports so he is still doing sports. At last check both Noe and Jacobs are still looking for jobs. Cady does traffic and news for Albany Broadcasting and has a weekend sports show on a lesser AM channel. If Sinkoff really wanted sports radio he would get a gig but I think job security is key and I think what he’s doing now is probably best for him. But again I can’t speak for him. Ed I respect your opinions but please have some facts to support your argument.

You said he was fired since he couldn’t reach out to listeners nor advertisers. The facts are he had top afternoon ratings AND had multiple advertisers on his show. His main segments were sponsored and his breaks went nearly 10 minutes since there was a demand to run spots on his time slot. So I’m not sure why you’re saying he didn’t have the reach when he actually did. It’s bad management by Townsquare Media.

We are not re-inventing the wheel here. This is what works… A WELL PREPARED, communications major running the show. Then find someone with a sharp opinion to work with him.

That doesn’t mean some guy that’s has a fake FM DJ name or has interned at OMI Tech, or has answered the phones for a sports talk radio show….

It also doesn’t mean a “contrarian” who hates everything or someone who “loves/hates every local team” or someone who “loves 1 local coach/program”…It means someone who can speak on multiple topics and it also means someone who can criticize the local teams as well as praise them. NOT JUST PRAISE THEM.

The host, who went to school for communications, tries to set up the other person to succeed. Along the way…. both people agree, disagree, and are hopefully funny. The actual host of the show should be able to have his opinions as well. (I don’t want that left out of the equation). Both people have to be able to give their honest opinion on multiple topics.

I agree that local sports talk means involving local personalities. (Like others have suggested) It doesn’t mean that someone should talk about the NY Knicks because the radio show is based in NY. They don’t have to talk Buffalo Bills or the NY Jets/NY Giants when other local stories are more relevant either.

To me, it means in a 2-3 hour show, 2-3 people should be interviewed on local topics. Find a coach, player, AD, or someone to talk about the local scene. That still leaves 5-6 full segments out of 8 that can go in any direction.

No calls or very limited calls. For the most part people are idiots. Have you read or listened to anything lately.

Less beat writers as well. (Find people with opinions) Beat writers are only programmed to toe the company line, as they don’t want to lose access. They actually have very little clue as to what’s going on with the team. They report. They write what other people say. They have their own opinion on the topic….but will never say it for fear of not being allowed more access or losing their job. I find they actually, for the most part, can’t predict what will happen with the team any better than any informed fan.

Just my opinion of course. There are about 4-6 guys left in the market to “run” the show. There are probably about the same amount of people that could fill the other roll.

#13 I’m saying he was fired because he was fired. That’s it. What you are trying to spin is admirable but it doesn’t change the facts. If Brian Sinkoff has/gets big ratings why isn’t he on my radio? I know we are now a society of pointing the finger at everyone else but..come on man…

The worst part of this whole stinking blog post is that I actually had a 1st hand look at the WTMM management.(a couple of years ago) I’m not even sure exactly what people are left from then.

They reached out to me about something I was working on. Online stuff not radio. (I have every email to prove it). I met with them and it was a really bad experience. Really bad. No wait…it was really bad.

Saying it was a nightmare is most likely an understatement. I fully understand why they were unsuccessful in the local market then and now. They have no clue. I guess I’ll leave it at that.

That being said. Bad radio is bad radio. The Sinkoff debate/argument is crazy in my opinion. The problem is they have no plan, better yet the people they have making decisions are inept.

First off Ed, you sound like you have a major axe to grind with Sinkoff. Obviously, you didn’t like him and we get it. His style wasn’t for everyone. But he defintely did local better than anyone on WTMM has done since.

Personally, I thought he was funny. And if the only thing you have to back up your argument is that he was fired and not in the business anymore, you’re being very ignorant. So I guess Jacobs getting fired from eveywhwere he’s been and is now doing a podcast for a rag-tag newspaper in his basement brings him credibility? And Cady doing traffic for $8/hour now gives him some radio clout? Ok.

Plenty of media people have been fired. Just watch the local news. Anyone in the business for awhile has been canned. Media is a tough business and usually the dismissals aren’t based on performance.

Ed, I’ll be honest with you – you sound like a guy that’s failed at radio and are jealous of everyone else. You’ve got all of these great ideas about how to run a successful show. Perhaps you too can do a podcast in your basement. I’d love to come on here and rip on you the way you do to everyone – especially Sinkoff.

Nathan stop with armchair physiology. You don’t know anything about me. I mentioned my interaction with Town Square Media, as it’s relevant to the conversation. I was just confirming that I had first hand knowledge of how inept they are. They approached me for content ideas. That’s it.

I’ve never said publicly or privately that I wanted to be a radio host. I don’t. I have a face for radio that’s it. I also don’t think you have to have a “pod cast” or be a disc jockey to know what you like on the radio. That’s why they have blogs so people can express their opinions.

I can’t throw 95 miles and hour so I guess I can’t criticize the yearly problem fixing the Mets bullpen. I guess I can’t comment on Obama care, as I’m not a member of congress…

I don’t have any axe to grind with Sinkoff. I didn’t think the poster saying that Sinkoff was proven successful plain and simple, was accurate.

Sinkoff isn’t currently in radio, as far as I know, so to me that’s not proven successful as a radio host. That’s all.

Joe and Brix was a really good show. The first time I have heard 104.5 ESPN Local Capital Region radio be any good. I would always listen to it on the way home. No offense, but Armen Williams is not good. His voice is rough to listen to, and he lacks the smoothness, energy, and humor of Joe and Brix. He goes out of his way to say how “in the know” he is, but his points are just boring. I sure hope Joe and Brix left on their own accord, for Satellite Radio or something, because if they were let go on purpose, then ESPN has no clue.

-Sinkoff was terrible, boring, too much high school sports for goodness sake. Katy was the “go to” personality, nuff said.
-Bruce Jacobs was confrontational, whiny, and redundant.

Joe and Brix reminded me of Mike and Mike, but a local Jets/Giants version, and that is what I liked. I could not believe how bad the radio show was yesterday. I turned it off as the two new hosts could not figure out a cohesive point to get to next. It was painful to listen to.

People have different tastes, but I have to believe I was in the majority when I say Joe and Brix were relevant Sports Radio in the Capital Region. The first I have heard in my 10 years living up here. I know good sports radio living with WFAN my entire adolescence and young adulthood. Like another person posted, you may as well play national ESPN radio feed following “The Heard,” now.

Sports Lover you are right. Ed…you are also right. the point that needs to be made here is that the problem isnt as much the hosts as it is the content they are being asked(told) to report or speak about. It is something that needs to come from the top of Town Square. Once they can commit to a LOCAL show with National sprinkled in thats when they start looking for the right people to fit into that slot as on air talent.

There are a few great people that could fill that role perfectly right here in our back yard. Im telling you it starts with High School and then work your way up and 104.5 could be a relevant afternoon and early Saturday morning sports talk station. I have a “hunch” if everyone gives it a little time this is what you will see. Stay tuned.

Hey Sports lover/sinkoff you lie like a rug. I was in the building. You weren’t. Jacobs ratings dusted Sinkoff over and over and over again. In fact beat Mike and Mike several times and that never happens at that station. Listen Sinkoff err sports lover don’t be going on public boards as an alias and lie about ratings that you know nothing about..You may love yourself errr sinkoff but the quality of host and show not close. Jacobs was big market talent. Oh yeah for those wanting more high school hockey and horse shoes coverage-no wonder you liked Sinkoff and hated Jacobs. yeah nothing like sports talk radio and a breakdown of Hoosik falls vs Saratoga womens basketball or wrestling coverage. YIKES…Oh and Dale Dribble ummmm Gribble- Noe does a weekend show for Fox National while you write hate comments from mommy’s basement. Jacobs has, as he said he was probably going to do, retired from radio. This after doing Fox for years and working in Phoenix ( large market-something you know nothing about sinkoff err sports lover) for over 20 years. That station sucks. Management, starting with that slob Stephen Gutterri or whatever his name is is a joke. The station hit #1 men 25-54 with Noe, Jacobs, Cady and the rest and that waste decided to dismantle the whole thing. that place is run like amateur hour which should make most of you whiners happy since that is your level as well.

Brian Cady….errr I mean Not Sports Lover, first off I think writing a post at 4AM probably caused your facts to be slightly skewed but more importantly probably was a direct contributor towards your negative and nasty comments towards us. I was in the building as well. I do know what I’m talking about. I’m not sure how you can say that Jacobs dusted Sinkoff when the only stat you can back that up is showing us that the show was #1 using a very small demographic segment. But unfortunately ratings are not just based on Men 25-29. It is a fact that the overal station ratings went downhill after Sinkoff left, and I hate to burst your bubble. The only reason I can logically think that you would gloat about Jacobs is that you had a direct part of the show, i.e. being Brian Cady. If Jacobs was really that good he would’ve still been with the station.

But here is where I DO AGREE with YOU. The station’s management is terrible. This whole story and argument all goes back to how the station has been ran and is currently being run. It is a mess.

To correct myself the stat says men 25-54 not 25-29. But still just because one demographic segment had high marks doesn’t mean that was the overall station rating. If “Not Sports Lover” had some more facts perhaps they would compare Sinkoff’s numbers to Jacobs but since that didn’t happen it proves my point on what the numbers really were.

One last thing. Sinkoff was hired by Regent Communications and then let go by the new regime at Townsquare Media. Jacobs was hired AND let go by the SAME regime! If Jacobs was really that good and was “dusting” Sinkoff then I’m sure his contract would have been extended. Plain and Simple!

Brian. Stop. You sound ridiculous. You are arguing about ratings from a station that fired you/him 18 MONTHS AGO. Again if your/Sinkoff’s ratings were so good I’m not sure why his contract wasn’t extended. Or why wasn’t Sinkoff snatched up by other radio stations looking for ratings? Everyone loves high ratings in the radio industry. That is if they are actually getting those ratings.

Another local sports station Fox Sports 980 thinks so highly of the “highest rated” show (Sinkoff) that not only did they not jump at the chance to hire him…..They play a repeat of a show that started 6 hours before everyday in the time slot that he used to occupy.

This is nonsense. Arguing which of the 4 guys that have been FIRED have the best ratings. Here’s a hint and the answer. None of the above. Plain and Simple!

Last thing on this subject just to recap. We now have two grown men who apparently were “in the building” at 104.5 that are arguing which FIRED show got the highest ratings. Awesome!

The fellows are so proud of their associations with those shows that they use fake names on a public forum. Neither one thinks much of themselves to just say what they’d like to say and actually use their real name.

Sports Lover wants to let you know Sinkoff’s show was the highest rated show 18 months ago when he was let go. Currently it’s not on the air. That’s like me telling you I was a great little league baseball player..although currently I’m out of shape and couldn’t hit a ball off a tee.

It sure would be nice to have posters that were a little less gutless on forums. I’m wrong all the time. I don’t have a problem admitting it or owning it. It’s a shame people have to pretend to be someone else to say what’s actually on their mind.

Speaking of Fox Sports Radio, what WOFX does is worse than what WTMM does, airing Dan Patrick’s show on tape from 3-6 p.m. WOFX should air “Steve Gorman Sports” LIVE from 3-6 p.m.

My first choice at that time is Doug Gottlieb from WPTR-AM 1240 (CBS Sports Radio). But as long as WOFX insists on airing taped programming at that time, I will always give whatever people WTMM trots out there a chance before listening to a taped radio show.

Ed Bemiss. I am going to explain this one more time for you and everyone else. Sinkoff was let go because management/the station consultant felt that bringing in a shock jock voice would grow the station further. The official decision said that management wanted to go in a different direction. At the time, Sinkoff had top afternoon drive time ratings for talk radio in the Capital Region. THAT IS A FACT. After Jacobs came in the ratings decreased each and every quarter. THAT IS A FACT.

Just because he’s not doing radio doesn’t mean he’s popular. He’s probably happy doing real estate and probably making twice the money than when he was doing radio! Not to mention job security. Plus he is doing sports for Time Warner so he is still doing that.

Noe, Jacobs, and Cady all left due to poor performance or due to Shane Spencer conduct.

Sinkoff was the only one let go due to a management decision and NOT due to performance!